News — Footwear

We have seen a big shift in the construction of football boots over the past 15-20 years. The day of robust and durable leather boots are a thing of the past and are fast being replaced with lightweight synthetic materials. Revolutionary cleat placements have also changed the dynamics and functionality of these boots drastically. The first signs of change were implemented by Adidas in the 1950’s with the introduction of interchangeable cleats. This allowed for customization of the boots based on underfoot conditions and the sport being played. In the following decades, further changes were made to reduce mass and...

Since the release of the now infamous book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougal in 2009, barefoot running and running with minimalist footwear has experienced an unprecedented rise in popularity1. Online bloggers, brand marketing experts and self-proclaimed running experts jumped aboard the bandwagon and without adequate evidence to back up their claims, began proclaiming the benefits of barefoot running2,3,4. Barefoot and minimalist running have been advocated as a means of strengthening foot musculature and encouraging a better style of running5,6. However, it has also been associated with increased incidence of stress fractures and abrasions of the foot7. The foundations of...